1. Obama not feeling Bern
The president privately told Democratic donors it was time to rally around Hillary Clinton, without explicitly calling on Bernie Sanders to exit the race, the New York Times reported.
Sanders says drop-out calls ‘absurd’
The bottom line is that when only half of the American people have participated in the political process … I think it is absurd for anybody to suggest that those people not have a right to cast a vote.
— Bernie Sanders, in reply
Sanders fights on: ‘we’re gonna win’
2. Conservatives contra Trump
A group of Mighty Righties published a manifesto calling for a “unity ticket” to beat Trump. Failing that, “we recognize that it took Abraham Lincoln three ballots at the Republican convention in 1860…”
Statement From Conservatives Against Trump
3. Fighting over convention fight
Can the GOP swipe the nomination from Trump at its convention? The people who make the rules are discussing it openly after House speaker Paul Ryan said a convention war looked increasingly likely.
How a convention contest could sink Trump
Summary
Democracy is pretty popular, but it’s simply not the way we do it.
– GOP convention rules committee member, to NBC
Summary
A Ted Cruz delegate, however, said any candidate but him or Trump would be “illegitimate,” and “Cruz-Trump voters will lose all confidence” in the process if they’re bypassed. Lose confidence? In this process?
Republicans may have little choice but to vote Clinton
4. Carson said to eye veep slot
Ex-candidate Ben Carson has called together his advisers to plot his next move, reported the Daily Beast. Atop the list: set up a Trump-Carson general election ticket. It just makes sense.
Summary
To those of us who are close to Mr Trump, he is more than our boss. He is our patriarch.
– top Trump aide Michael Cohen
Donald Trump is more than my boss
5. Provocative Cruz pick
Cruz appointed as security adviser Frank Gaffney, who has stated concerns about a “worrying pattern of official US submission to Islam and… Shariah”. Take that, Trump.
Think Trump’s an Islamophobe? Meet Cruz’s adviser
...and another thing:
How Ted Cruz’s face became the never-ending meme of 2016 https://t.co/EnaUdGWLI8 pic.twitter.com/LcWc3IgZYZ
— Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) March 18, 2016
